In the aerospace industry, airframe manufacturers seek methods and devices to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize costs (i.e., increase economy) of various aircraft. One aspect of aerospace design that manufacturers routinely seek to optimize is wing design. With fixed wing aircraft, the longer the wing, the more aircraft lift is attained, thereby increasing efficiency of fuel consumption. However, due to airport gate constraints, there is a limitation on wing length. For example, existing airport designs place limits on aircraft wingspan. Airport designs are based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Codes A through F, which establish dimensional limits on wingspan, landing gear width and length. To overcome this, an aircraft wing can be designed to swing back or swing up a section or tip for parking at an airport gate. This is commonly referred to as being a “swept” design or an aircraft with hinged raked wing tip. For example (as shown in FIG. 1) while an aircraft 100 is parked at the gate, the wing section or tip 103 is swung back or up from an operational position to gate parking position wherein the wing tip 103′ pivoted up from a base portion 102 of the wing which is secured to the aircraft fuselage 101. After leaving the gate, the wing section or tip 103′ is swung forward or down for takeoff, flight, and landing. After landing, the wing section or tip 103′ is again swung back or up prior to arriving at the gate.
As is further shown in FIG. 1, hinged raked wing tip aircrafts, such as hinged raked wing tip aircraft 100, employ an actuator (not shown) that is in communication with a hinge 104 between the wing tip 103, 103′ and the base portion 102 of the wing. Such hinges 104 use various bearings (e.g., thrust bearings) to facilitate relative motion between the wing tip 103, 103′ and the base portion 102 of the wing. However, thrust bearings tend to wear during use and develop excessive axial movement, creating misalignment problems between the wing tip 103 and the base portion 102 of the wing.
There is an unsolved need for a new bearing for a hinge for a raked wing tip aircraft that has little of no axial movement.